CNY Ronald McDonald House ready to move into new home

SYRACUSE — Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York plans to open its new home to families after Thanksgiving.

Construction on the new house, a 51,000-square-foot facility at 1100 E. Genesee St., is set to wrap up in time for a private ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 19. A public open house is then planned for Nov. 20 from noon to 6 p.m.

The new house is larger than the building at 1027 E. Genesee St. that the charity is vacating, which has about 10,000 usable square feet. It contains 25 guest bedrooms, versus the 16 bedrooms at the current Central New York Ronald McDonald House. The new structure also includes a partially finished fourth floor that will allow the organization to increase its capacity to 39 bedrooms in the future.

“What is important to us is everything in this new home is state-of-the-art, which is wonderful for us from a functionality standpoint,” says Beth Trunfio, the nonprofit’s executive director. “We can offer wireless Internet access, we have a new phone system, a new security system. It really is our responsibility to make sure everyone who stays with us is comfortable and secure.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York has been working toward its new location for years. It acquired the land for the building in the mid-2000s, Trunfio says, and it broke ground for construction in June 2011.

Zausmer-Frisch Scruton & Aggarwal, Inc. of Syracuse designed and built the new Ronald McDonald House, which cost $6 million. Sources of financing included foundation grants, individual donations, support from businesses and organizations, bequests, and loans from M&T Bank and Alliance Bank.

The new facility will be staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year so that it can provide a place to stay for families whose children are hospitalized with injuries or illnesses. The current house in Syracuse is also staffed on that schedule.

The nonprofit organization doesn’t have immediate plans to hire new staff members because of the larger facility, but Trunfio acknowledges such a move could be necessary in the future. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York currently employs seven people full time and six part-time weekend managers.

“We are absolutely going to have to ramp up our volunteers,” Trunfio says. “We have already begun to do that. We rely heavily on volunteer support for everyday maintenance of the house, housekeeping.”

The organization will likely have to add about 15 volunteers over the course of a week, she continues. It currently receives daily help from about 20 volunteers between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.

A higher annual budget is also likely for the nonprofit after it moves into its new home, Trunfio adds. She isn’t sure exactly how much of an increase to expect — heating and water bills won’t be clear until the facility is in use — but she anticipates the annual operating budget to rise to about $850,000, up from the current $750,000.

Rooms for families aren’t the only part of the Ronald McDonald House that is moving to its new building. The Central New York organization is also relocating its administrative offices, which were housed at 1027 E. Genesee St. Current plans call for the nonprofit to be completely out of its former home by Dec. 14 at the latest.

The vacated building will be sold, according to Trunfio. It is under contract, she says, declining to share any additional details about the transaction because it has yet to close.

Employees, volunteers, and families will be settling into a larger, more welcoming home, Trunfio contends. Every floor has dedicated janitorial space as well as linen closets and laundry facilities for guests. The facility also contains a children’s playroom, a room for teenagers and preteens, and a fitness room for parents to exercise.

Families will be able to use a large eat-in dining area with two side-by-side kitchens. One kitchen is built with fixtures at traditional heights, while the other is constructed for wheelchair accessibility. The entire building is wheelchair accessible, Trunfio says.

“The most wonderful piece of it is when you walk in, the color panel is warm and welcoming,” she says. “There’s wainscot throughout the first floor, beautiful tray ceilings. It feels like you’re walking into a home.”

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com